NoCol 11-12s advance to championship series

HUDSON — Northern Columbia’s 11-12-year-old All-Star team showed just how potent it’s offense can be on Thursday, pounding out 11 hits in an 11-run third inning en route to a 12-0 victory over Hudson in their District 15 elimination game.

The game was stopped in the fourth inning because of the 10-run rule.

Northern Columbia advances to the championship round of the tournament and will play Saugerties, the tournament’s only remaining unbeaten team, Saturday in Kinderhook at 5:45 p.m. Northern Columbia would need to beat Saugerties twice in order to win the District 15 title. A win on Saturday would force a one-game playoff on Monday.

Northern Columbia took a 1-0 advantage in the first inning when Jack Mullins doubled, went to third on a ground out and scored on Tim Wheeler’s sacrifice fly to deep left.

The score remained 1-0 until Northern Columbia put the game away with its 11-run explosion. Mullins had an RBI triple and a two-run single in the inning, while Mitch Keegan singled twice and drove in three.

Winning pitcher Brady Holzhauer limited Hudson to just two hits — a double by Brian Curran and a single by Gabe Quirk — while striking out 11 and walking just one.

Mullins had a perfect 3 for 3 night at the plate for the winners, belting a triple, double and single with three RBI. Keegan added two singles and three RBI, Wheeler had a double and single with two RBI. Ewan McComb a single and two RBI, Holzhauer a single and an RBI, Max Frering, Jacob Ormerod, Kyle Danforth and Kyle Bartlett a single each an Matt Buono an RBI.

Curran was the losing pitcher, striking out two, walking two and allowing 12 runs on 13 hits.